Sterilization of the atmosphere of rooms or enclosed spaces



Oct. 23, 1934. FREESTQNE 1,977,760

STERILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE OF ROOMS OR ENCLOSED SPACES Filed April 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Z/VVEN TOR J. 7. FREES TO/VE Oct. 23, 1934. J. T. FREESTONE STERIL IZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE OF ROOMS OR ENCLOSED SPACES Filed April 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 6' modboooo f/VVE/V T0)? J 7*. FREES ro/vs Patented Got. 23, 1934 STER-ILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE F ROOMS OR ENCLOSED SPACES Joseph Thomas Freestone, Liverpool, England Application April 7, 1933, Serial No. 664,989

In Great Britain April 16, 1932- Claims. (o 167-3) The object of this invention is to provide a though the material is being constantly evaposterilized atmosphere in eveiy part of rooms or" rated by contact of the air, the contact area of enclosed spaces, that is an atmosphere sterile to the material is, as stated, continuously mainall microbic and germ life; namely, to provide tained.

5 improvements inconnection with the means for By this means the supply of the sterilizdms- Q;-

sterilizing the air or atmosphere in rooms or endium to the air or atmosphere is in constant raclesed spaces, by which the above conditions shall tio, so that the quality of the charged'air is kept be constantly and uniformly maintained. at such a degree of constancy that the charged The above object of providing a sterilized atair all over the room or space will be inimicalto" 10-mosphere in rooms or enclosed spaces has hithergerm or micrcblc life.

to been proposed by means in which the steriliz- An example of apparatus according to this ining medium, such as para-dichloro-benzene has vention is illustrated by the annexed drawings," been held in a. perforated container, and over the in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of the surface of which air has been passed by the apparatus; Figure 2 isa sectional view o'nthe line agency of an'electrically driven fan; but the sur-' 22 of Figure l; and Figure 3'is'an outside 'ele- 70);:

face or area of the sterilizing material which has vat-ion of a modified form of apparatus. i been acted on by the air has not been constant, The apparatus shown is of a vertical type, but" but by this invention this factor of constancy it maybe '50 arranged that the air is caused to of area acted on by the air is accomplished; and flow over the material in the gauze container in E effected y mar ing the Container for the a horizontal or inc-lined direction, so that' 'th'e75i".

para-dichloro-benzene or equivalent material to streams or stream of air carrying with it the vaconstitute a storage and feed chamber for the pour of para-dichloro-benzene will be directed material as well as a part for the exposure of a into and along the rooms or spaces horizontally. part of the material to the action of the air which Referring now to the drawings, 1 is the vapor 2'5-is forced thereover and into the enclosed space izing chamber, having within it, at the' 1ower' 0-il or room, so that such latter part or area of Inapart, an electrically driven air forcing fan 2,-" terial is kept constant. fixed to the base 3 of the chamber.

'If the sterilizing material specified in the form The container for the para-dichloro=benzne of crystals be used the atmosphere is non-toxic, consists of two parts, the lower part i'of wire or not hurtful or uncomfortable to those in the gauze, and the feed or storage chamber part '5 "85s,.

room, such as patients in hospitals and nursing above. The gauze vaporizing part 4 which is exhomes, or persons occupying a. room or enclosed posed to the action of the air, lies within the space, such as school children, work people in upper part of the evaporating chamber 1.

workshops, storage rooms etc. The air to be charged with vapour is'admitted' To produce this constant area of material to to the interior of the chamber 1 through two rows 90 be acted on by the air so that the air supplied of holes 6 in its walls near the bottom; whilst the from the vaporizing or charging apparatus shall vapour charged air is discharged into the space be of a constant sterilizing quality, that part of to be treated, through holes '7 in the upper part the container, which is of perforated or meshwork of the body or chamber 1, and the ring of holes" 40- form, will be continuously replenished and'kept 8 around the store vessel 5; the total area of these '95 full or the material, which effect is obtained by latter apertures being greater than thatof the providing a part of the container above the lower apertures; so' that there is no serious conmesh work holder portion with a quantity of the tra pressure to the escape of air.

material, so that as the materialinthe mesh work In the case shown, the holder of the material holder part is used up or evaporated, it is re- 4, 5, is carried in a removable part 9, which is 100 plenishecl by the material in the closed portion in the form of a removable lid, and is adapted to of the reservoir or container, moving down by be fixed in a removable manner in the upper gravity into the perforated holder portion. ring 10 of the chamber 1, this construction being The size of openings or mesh should be such in the form say of a tin lever lid and neck.

- that they freely admit the air coming in direct The container is closed at the top by a screw 105' contact with and flowing over the surface of the cap 11, by means of which when removed the crystals in the container, so that although they store or feeder part of the container can be reare vaporized and gradually reduced in size, the charged with material. 7

' reduced grams of the material will not fall out, In operation, when the container 4, 5, is

' but are held until completely vaporized; and alcharged with the material, and the fan is set in 119 I action by the electro fan 2, to which current is supplied through the adapter connection 12, air will be forced by the fan over the whole gauze or open work surface of the portion 4; and flowing over same will come freely into contact with, and absorb or evaporate this material-which is highly evaporable; and the air charged with the vapour will be forced through the apertures 7, 8, and into the atmosphere in which the apparatus is placed. These currents of charged air will be transmitted and distributed throughout the room in which the apparatus is used; and the artificially produced currents will reach every part of the room and the atmosphere in it, which at all parts will be set in motion; and consequnetly, germ life in the atmosphere throughout the room will be acted upon and destroyed, so that a thoroughly pure air will pervade the whole space of the room.

In order that free evaporation of the paradichloro-benzene will take place, and that no crystals of the material will fall through the mesh of the gauze, this mesh will be so small that this cannot take place. For instance, the

gauze may have about apertures.

In order that the quantity of material in the container can be known, a vertical window 13, say of transparent medium, orgauze, will be provided in it, so that the level of the material can be seen.

In the case shown, the apparatus may be assumed to be one which will be used within the room, the atmosphere of which is to be treated; but in other cases, the apparatus may be such that it can be placed outside the room, and the air admitted to it by the method described, in which case the treated air will be carried from it by a conduit, and led by it to the room or space,

the air of which is to be purified. Further one. ,or more of such apparatus may be employed for conducting vapour charged air to any or all of several rooms. 7

Figure 3 shows a modified form of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2, but the operations which take place in same, will be identical with those above described.

In this apparatus the para-dichloro-benzene holder apparatus is placed in line of the stream or streams of air moved by the fan in passing through the apparatus, so that the easy and sure vaporiused as the vaporizable sanitizing medium, any material of an equivalent or analogous nature which is or will be inimical to microbic or germ life can be used in connection with the apparatus and system.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for sterilizing the atmosphere oi. an enclosed space comprising in combination a perforated container for sterilizing material in crystal form, an imperforate storage chamber for the sterilizing material located above the perforated container, a conduit connecting the storage chamber with the perforated container whereby the latter is maintained in a filled condition from the storage chamber by gravity, means for forcing the atmosphere of the enclosed space past the perforated container, and a guide for directing the forced atmosphere into contact with the container.

2; Apparatus for sterilizing the atmosphere of an enclosed space comprising in combination a container for sterilizing material in crystal form having an imperforate storage chamber located above a perforate exposure chamber, means for forcing the atmosphere of the enclosed space over the container, and a guide for directing the forced atmosphere into contact with the container.

3. Apparatus for sterilizing the atmosphere of an enclosed space comprising in combination a casing having an inlet and an outlet aperture, a container for sterilizing material in crystal form including an exposure chamber located within the casing and a storage chamber located beyond the casing, the said storage chamber being located above the exposure chamber to maintain the latter full of crystals, a fan located at the inlet end of the casing for forcing the atmosphere from the enclosed space past the crystalline material in the exposure chamber,

and means for-driving the fan.

4. An apparatus for sterilizing the atmosphere of an enclosed space comprising in combination a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a container for sterilizing material in crystal form having a storage chamber located beyond the casing and above an exposure chamber situated within the casing and of such a size as to permit free passage of air over the surface of the exposure chamber, and through the outlet of the casing, and a motor-driven fan located at the inlet end of the casing.

5. Apparatus for sterilizing the air of an enclosed space comprising a container filled with para-dichloro-benzene crystals having its lower walls-formed of gauze, and its upper walls imperforate, wherebya. constant surface of paradichloro-benzene crystals is exposed to the action of air forced over the container into the enclosed space.

JOSEPH THOMAS FREESTONE. 

